1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for controlling reproduction output processing applied to image data recorded in a recording medium, a data processing method therefor, and a storage medium for storing a program which can be read by a computer and which controls the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each frame image in a photographic film can be generally reproduced by an additional printing service.
In this additional printing service, a printing count and a mark are put on a semi-transparent negative holder which accumulates a developed film, the holder is submitted to a developing laboratory, and the laboratory identifies an image to be reproduced (printed additionally) and prints it.
A photo CD system has been recently used in which an image on a film is read, the read image data is written into a CD-ROM, and the image data is read from the CD-ROM to be displayed on an image display unit.
Such a CD-ROM system is configured such that image data stored on a CD-ROM is read by a computer system and output by a high-image-quality printer to obtain a printed image.
Since such a high-image-quality printer is expensive and individuals usually cannot afford to have it, however, a printing service at a developing laboratory is usually used to obtain a printed image.
Generally, a CD-ROM and a memo on which information, such as an image number on an index print, for specifying an image data stored in the CD-ROM are submitted.
As computer technologies have been developed and personal computers have become to be widely used, and image input units such as a digital camera have been spread, individuals have come to be able to easily handle high-resolution digital image data.
Such image data is stored in an information recording medium in various image-file formats, including a tag image file format (TIFF), PICT, a joint photographic experts group (JPEG) format and RAW. The image data is usually printed by a printer connected to a computer which an individual has.
Satisfactory printing cannot be performed in some cases by the printer which an individual has, due to the limit of its image expression processing capability.
To respond to a demand of higher-image-quality printing, a developing laboratory, a photo shop, a photo finishing shop, or a personal-computer shop provides a printing service for reproducing image data stored in an information recording medium, by a high-performance printer.
To use such a printing service, image data needs to be submitted for printing to a place where the service is provided. Recently, image data can be transmitted through a communication line for printing, but still it is usual to submit or carry an information recording medium which stores image data to a place where the service is provided.
It is necessary to specify the desired image among the image data stored in an information recording medium to use such an image printing service. Therefore, the customer who requires the printing service needs to inform an image printing service shop of the number or name corresponding to the desired image by a memo in order to specify the image among the image data stored in an information recording medium.
Then, the image printing service shop selects the image which the customer has specified among the image data stored in the information recording medium, according to the number or name specified by the customer for printing.
Generally, complicated operations are required in a computer system used for the printing service. Therefore, it has not been easy for a usual shop assistant to select the image to be printed and to print it.
A person is required for actual printing to specify the desired image among the image data stored in the information recording medium. In addition, the time required for printing is restricted.
To solve these problems, a system is used in which image data and image-reproduction instruction data for specifying whether the image data is to be reproduced or not are stored in an information recording medium, and when image data stored in the information recording medium is reproduced, the desired image data is read from the information recording medium among the image data according to the image data and the image-reproduction instruction data stored in the information recording medium to output the reproduction data. With this system, the customer can use a printing service just by bringing a recording medium which stores image data and image-reproduction instruction data to a printing service shop, without specifying an image to be printed by a memo.
If the customer erroneously stores image-reproduction instruction data in a recording medium such that an image different from the image which the customer wanted to specify in the recording medium is printed, the erroneous image is printed out. Although the desired image is printed, the number of printed images may be incorrect.
If image-reproduction instruction data is incorrect, since the fact is not found until printing is performed, a printed image may become wasteful. In this case, another printing is required, and thereby additional cost and time are necessary.
When the customer brings a recording medium to a shop, an image specified for printing cannot be directly checked. If image-reproduction instruction data is falsified to specify an excessive printing count, nobody can check it.
Image data stored in a recording medium is controlled by its file name. If the file name is falsified, since it cannot be checked, it is difficult to show whether the image specified for printing is actually printed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which allows the user to select the desired image data to be reproduced among image data stored in a recording medium according to the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data, stored in the recording medium in addition to the image data in order to reduce a burden of specifying an image to be reproduced and in order to allow the intended number of the image to be efficiently reproduced without an and which outputs a sheet used for checking in advance before image reproduction the contents of the image data specified to be reproduced, in order to modify a reproduction instruction by easily determining whether the reproduction instruction is correct, to reduce burdens of the customer and the service provider in an image processing output service, and to avoid providing an unexpected reproduction image processing service due to erroneous instructions, a data processing method for the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium for storing a program which can be read by a computer and which controls the image processing apparatus.
The foregoing object is achieved in one aspect of the present invention through the provision of an image processing apparatus including: a recording medium in which the specified number of certain image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are stored; reading means for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; generating means for generating arranged output data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read by the reading means; and output means for outputting a sheet used for checking the instructions on the image data to be output from the recording medium, according to the output data generated by the generating means.
Therefore, image-reproduction instruction information which indicates an image the user wants to reproduce is recorded on the same recording medium as image data, a group of image data to be reproduced according to the image-reproduction instruction information can be image-output on the form sheet, and image-data reproduction instructions can be checked before the image data is reproduced. Consequently, it can be easily determined whether the instructions have an error. In addition, since the form sheet and the reproduced image can be verified at any time, when a person who asks image reproduction does not perform image reproduction processing, an error in instructions of the user or the processor and falsification are prevented and the best image-reproduction service can be offered.
The foregoing object is achieved in another aspect of the present invention through the provision of an image processing apparatus including: a recording medium in which the specified number of the image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are recorded; reading means for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; generating means for generating arranged output data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read by the reading means; and output means for outputting the output data generated by the generating means.
Since image-reproduction instruction information which indicates an image the user wants to reproduce is recorded on the same recording medium as image data, a burden to a person who asks image reproduction, of specifying an image to be reproduced to a person who performs image-reproduction processing can be reduced.
A person who performs image-reproduction processing can efficiently obtain the required number of reproduction images by efficiently reading the intended image data among the image data recorded in the recording medium passed by a person who has asked image reproduction.
The recording medium may be portable. In this case, a person who asks image reproduction can easily bring the recording medium in which image data is recorded to an image-processing service shop having an output unit.
The recording medium may be formed so as to be able to be mounted to a digital camera. In this case, only the intended image can be specified for reproduction among a plurality of image data taken by the digital camera.
In the image processing apparatus, an image indicating the output count of each image data may be added to the image data.
The foregoing object is achieved in still another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a data processing method for an image processing apparatus which can access a recording medium in which the specified number of certain image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are stored, the data processing method including: a reading step for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; a generating step for generating arranged output data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read in the reading step; and an output step for outputting a sheet used for checking the instructions on the image data to be output from the recording medium, according to the output data generated in the generating step.
Therefore, image-reproduction instruction information which indicates an image the user wants to reproduce is recorded on the same recording medium as image data, a group of image data to be reproduced according to the image-reproduction instruction information can be image-output on the form sheet, and image-data reproduction instructions can be checked before the image data is reproduced. Consequently, it can be easily determined whether the instructions have an error. In addition, since the form sheet and the reproduced image can be verified at any time, when a person who asks image reproduction does not perform image reproduction processing, an error in instructions of the user or the processor and falsification are prevented and the best image-reproduction service can be offered.
The recording medium may be portable.
The recording medium may be formed so as to be able to be mounted to a digital camera.
In the data processing method, an image indicating the output count of each image data may be added to the image data.
The foregoing object is achieved in yet another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a storage medium for storing a program which can be read by a computer and which controls an image processing apparatus that can access a recording medium in which the specified number of certain image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are stored, the program including: a reading step for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; a generating step for generating arranged output data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read in the reading step; and an output step for outputting a sheet used for checking the instructions on the image data to be output from the recording medium, according to the output data generated in the generating step.
Therefore, image-reproduction instruction information which indicates an image the user wants to reproduce is recorded on the same recording medium as image data, a group of image data to be reproduced according to the image-reproduction instruction information can be image-output on the form sheet, and image-data reproduction instructions can be checked before the image data is reproduced. Consequently, it can be easily determined whether the instructions have an error. In addition, since the form sheet and the reproduced image can be verified at any time, when a person who asks image reproduction does not perform image reproduction processing, an error in instructions of the user or the processor and falsification are prevented and the best image-reproduction service can be offered.
The recording medium may be portable.
The recording medium may be formed so as to be able to be mounted to a digital camera.
In the storage means, an image indicating the output count of each image data may be added to the image data.
The foregoing object is achieved in a further aspect of the present invention through the provision of a data processing method for an image processing apparatus which can access the recording medium in which the specified number of the image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are stored, the data processing method including: a reading step for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; a generating step for generating arranged output image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read in the reading step; and an output step for outputting the arranged output image data generated in the generating step.
Therefore, a person who performs image-reproduction processing can efficiently obtain the required number of reproduction images by efficiently reading the intended image data among the image data recorded in the recording medium passed by a person who has asked image reproduction.
The foregoing object is achieved in a still further aspect of the present invention through the provision of a storage medium for storing a program which can be read by a computer and which controls an image processing apparatus that can access a recording medium in which the specified number of the image data and the image-reproduction instruction data corresponding to the image data are stored, the storage medium including: a reading step for selecting image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data in the recording medium and for reading it; a generating step for generating arranged output image data according to the image-reproduction instruction data, for each image data selectively read in the reading step; and an output step for outputting the arranged output image data generated in the generating step.
Therefore, a person who performs image-reproduction processing can efficiently obtain the required number of reproduction images by efficiently reading the intended image data among the image data recorded in the recording medium passed by a person who has asked image reproduction.
Since the image-reproduction instruction data indicating an image to be reproduced, which corresponds to the image data, is stored in the recording medium in addition to the image data, a burden of selecting the image data the user intends to be reproduced among the image data recorded in the recording medium, according to the image-reproduction instruction data, and of specifying reproduction thereof is reduced, and the intended number of reproduction images can be efficiently obtained without an error. In addition, a form sheet used for checking the contents of the image data to be reproduced can be output before the image data is reproduced. Furthermore, it is easily determined whether reproduction instruction contents have an error, and the contents can be changed if they have an error. A burden to a person who asks for image processing output service and a service provider is reduced, and an unexpected reproduction image processing service due to an instruction error can be avoided.